Henderson goes down with right hamstring strain

MILWAUKEE -- Brewers closer Jim Henderson went down with a right hamstring strain in Friday's 2-1 victory over the Pirates, and manager Ron Roenicke could not rule out an extended absence.

"I don't think it's just going to be a day," Roenicke said.

Pitching with one out in the ninth inning, Henderson felt his right hamstring grab when he pushed off the mound delivering a 2-1 pitch to Pirates catcher Russell Martin. Martin grounded the ball up the middle and Henderson went down awkwardly trying to field it.

Jean Segura fielded the ground ball and flipped it to Jeff Bianchi at second base for the second out of the inning with Henderson still on the mound holding his hamstring.

The right-hander walked around the mound and took one warm-up pitch but knew immediately he was done.

"Just trying to be quick to the plate and pushed off real hard and that's what happened," said Henderson, who had his hamstring wrapped with ice after the game. "I'll see the doc tomorrow and we'll reevaluate it."

Francisco Rodriguez came in and threw two pitches to make the final out of the game, earning the 295th save of his career.

Henderson helped stabilize a Brewers' bullpen that struggled early in the year and is 9-for-9 in save opportunities with an 0.92 ERA.

If Henderson does miss time, Roenicke said he likely wouldn't count on one pitcher to take over the closer's role. The Brewers have three other pitchers with closer experience on the roster: John Axford, left-hander Michael Gonzalez and Rodriguez.

"I don't know if we want to go with just one person in particular," Roenicke said. "We may look at the matchups and see what they are every night. If there are a couple lefties coming up, we may leave one of our left-handers in there."

Brewers activate Gorzelanny, place Burgos on DL

The move made room on the roster for left-handed reliever Tom Gorzelanny, who was activated from the 15-day DL with left shoulder tendinitis.

Burgos said the shoulder has been bothering him for "a while" and it got worse following his start against the Reds on May 11, when he gave up 11 hits and 12 runs (10 earned) in three innings of work.

The right-handed Burgos threw 88 pitches in the game, including 28 in the second inning and 39 in the third when the Reds scored five and seven runs off him, respectively.

"The four days that are between the next start, it took me a lot longer to recover. That's when it I think got worse from all that, from that game," Burgos said. "I'm a warrior. I always want to be out there and I want to pitch the whole time. But it's affecting my command, it's affecting my velocity, everything. I just now got to get better."

Milwaukee needs to fill Burgos' spot in the rotation beginning Tuesday against the Twins. If the Brewers don't use him out of the bullpen before then, Alfredo Figaro could get the start, according to manager Ron Roenicke.

Burgos' ERA rose from 3.00 to 6.44 in his past three starts after allowing 15 earned runs combined in losses to the Reds and Pirates and a no-decision against the Dodgers. The righty lasted just 3 1/3 innings against Los Angeles on Tuesday, allowing six hits and two earned runs.

"My shoulder's been bothering me for a while. After the Cincinnati game, it kind of got a little bit worse," Burgos said, noting the pain increased between innings after cooling down. "I'm trying to get better to be out there and pitch."

Roenicke indicated the injury is not considered serious and hoped Burgos could return to the mound soon after June 6, the first day he is eligible to come off the disabled list.

Narveson to be stretched out as starter

MILWAUKEE -- A fresh arm will soon be on the way to the Brewers' beleaguered pitching rotation. When left-hander Chris Narveson begins a Minor League rehabilitation assignment next week, he will stretch out as a starter.

Narveson, out since early April due to a sprained ligament in his left middle finger, faced hitters for the first time Friday and said the plan calls for one more extended mound session at Miller Park on Monday, followed by a trip to a Minor League affiliate, perhaps Triple-A Nashville for a Thursday night start against Iowa.

He began the season in the Brewers' bullpen, a proactive move meant to protect his surgically-repaired shoulder, but prefers to start.

"Definitely," Narveson said. "That's what [I] want to do, but you also want to help the team win any way you can."

Narveson worked a pair of 15-pitch simulated innings against Martin Maldonado and Logan Schafer on Friday afternoon. Narveson threw his full assortment of pitches and deemed the outing a success.

"There's always room for improvement, but I'm ready to go for a rehab start," Narveson said.

Narveson expects to work only two innings in his first start, so he is still weeks away from a return to the Brewers' rotation. He has not pitched extensively since 2011, when Narveson went 11-8 with a 4.45 ERA in 28 starts and two relief appearances.

Brewers mourn passing of former scout Guerrero

MILWAUKEE -- Brewers assistant general manager Gord Ash remembered with fondness Friday legendary scout Epy Guerrero, who worked for Milwaukee from 1996-2003 and died Thursday in the Dominican Republic. He was 71.

Guerrero was considered a titan of Dominican baseball, best known for his more than two decades scouting for the Toronto Blue Jays. He served a number of capacities for the Brewers, including running the club's Latin American academy until the facility was shuttered after the 2003 season. Among the players he scouted and signed for Milwaukee was Venezuelan shortstop Alcides Escobar, who started for the Brewers on Opening Day 2010 and was traded to Kansas City after that season.

Two of Guerrero's sons, Mike and Sandy, are coaches in the Brewers' Minor League chain, Mike Guerrero as manager at Triple-A Nashville and Sandy Guerrero as roving hitting instructor. Both took leave from their posts earlier in the week and were able to spend a few days with their father before his passing.

"He was a prolific scout," Ash said. "His list of players that got to the big leagues was impressive. A tireless worker. He had thorough knowledge of not just the Dominican, but all of Latin America. Very creative, and a great talent evaluator."

Brewers Minor League field and catching coordinator Charlie Greene has been running the Nashville club in Mike Guerrero's absence.

Adam McCalvy is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Brew Beat, and follow him on Twitter at @AdamMcCalvy. Kevin Massoth is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.